Monday, September 18, 2006

Replica of Argo launched on trial journey

Volos - A replica of Argo, a mythical Greek ship believed to have sailed 3 000 years ago on a heroic quest from Greece to modern-day Georgia, set sail on Sunday from the central Greek port of Volos on a trial run.

Built with Bronze Age tools to the specifications of a Mycenaean-era vessel, the 28.5m wooden ship sailed into the waters of Pagasitikos Bay - the legendary expedition's original starting point - after a four-year construction project.

According to Greek legend, the expedition headed by Jason and featuring 50 other heroes - including Hercules and Peleus - sailed to the Black Sea kingdom of Colchis in a mission to retrieve the Golden Fleece, the skin of a divine ram.

Equipped with a ram of its own, the 14th century BC ship was of similar design to the vessels that later carried the Greek armies of the Trojan War described in Homer's Iliad, the organisers said.

In 2003, Greek shipbuilders also created the replica of a 3 500-year-old Minoan ship that sailed in the Aegean Sea the following year.

In the Argonaut legend, Jason returned from Colchis to Iolkos (near modern-day Volos) with the Fleece and the daughter of the local king, Medea, as his wife.

According to a tale dramatised by Classical-era Greek tragedian Euripides that bears her name, Medea later became insane with jealousy after Jason left her for another princess and killed their two children in reprisal.

The modern Argo will sail on its two-month maiden voyage to the Black Sea with a crew of 50 rowers - representing every country in Europe - next year.